The Scoop on Army Enlistment Bonuses

The Army can offer you up to $40,000 in signing bonuses. But to get this much you have to be eligible for a combination of various types of cash bonuses.

For example, you may be able to combine an MOS bonus with a bonus for shipping to training within 30 days for a critical MOS, and a bonus for higher education, and an airborne training bonus. Each of these bonuses have specific eligiblity requirements.

The following is a list of several signing bonuses the Army is currently offering:

High School Senior Bonus

Qualified high school seniors who have already contracted or plan to join the active Army and agree to report for training before Sept. 30 can receive an additional cash enlistment bonus, provided they complete high school and receive their diplomas.

Higher Education Bonus

Active Duty and Army Reserve applicants may be rewarded for their civilian educational experience.Active Duty Applicants: Qualified applicants who enlist for two or more years may receive one of the following bonuses for civilian education:

Bachelor\\'s degree—$8,000

Associate or two-year degree—$7,000

High school graduates with 60 or more college semester hours—$6,000

High school graduates with 30 to 59 college semester hours—$3,000

Reserve Applicants:

Qualified non-prior service applicants who enlist for three to six years may receive one of the following bonuses for civilian education:

Bachelor\\'s degree—$4,000

Associate or two-year degree—$3,000

High school graduates with 60 or more college semester hours—$2,000

High school graduates with 30 to 59 college semester hours—$1,000

Civilian Skill Bonus

Qualified applicants who possess civilian skills that the Army needs—such as proficiency in certain foreign languages, X-Ray certification or specialties in animal care—may be eligible for a $5,000 bonus. Qualified Army Reserve applicants who already have civilian skills that the Army Reserve needs and enlist for six years in a critical skill specialty may be eligible for a $10,000 bonus.

Army Airborne Bonus

Qualified applicants who enlist for airborne training and a guaranteed Airborne assignment may be eligible for a $3,000 or $6,000 bonus, depending on the job they choose.

Officer Candidate School

Soldiers who enlist for and complete Officer Candidate School (OCS) in an eligible Area of Concentration may receive the following bonus.

Army Reserve OCS Bonus

Up to $10,000 bonus payable upon successful completion of OCS training and commissioning.

Warrant Officer Flight Training Bonus

Soldiers who enlist for and complete Warrant Officer Flight School (WOFT) in an eligible Area of Concentration may qualify for a bonus of up to $10,000.

Middle Eastern Translator Aid Bonus

Individuals who speak certain Middle-Eastern languages and enlist as Translator Aides in the U.S. Army Individual Ready Reserve are eligible for a $10,000 enlistment bonus.

NOTE: Bonuses can be combined with the Army Loan Repayment incentive or the Army College Fund. Bonus amounts, eligibility criteria and qualifying Military Occupational Specialties change frequently. Contact your local recruiter to find out what the current bonuses are and which you may qualify for.

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ASVAB

To join the military, one of the first challenges you will have is to show that you have some basic knowledge and skills by scoring well on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The ASVAB is made up of several verbal, math, and technical tests. Your combined score will be one of the determining factors of what jobs will be available to you. However, while the military can get you into peak physical performance, YOU need to train your mind by using the tools provided in our ASVAB section.